RACING AHEAD with Tony McCormick

Racing Ahead

Published:13:05Friday 27 February 2015

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Racing pundit Tony McCormick from www.irishbigracetrends.com beforetheoff.com and racing radio station racingfm.com looks back at the weekend’s action in Great Britain and Ireland, while the countdown to the Cheltenham continues with your Festival Notebook.

Sire De Grugy got his season back on track with a fine weight-carrying display in the Rifles Handicap Chase at Chepstow, on Saturday.

Last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase hero only made his seasonal reappearance at Newbury two weeks ago following a setback, and that run did not go to plan as he unseated Jamie Moore. Sent off the 5-4 favourite despite conceding upwards of 20lb, Sire De Grugy made amends in style as he oozed class throughout.

Moore told At The Races: “You could see he came up out of my hands a couple of times, which he never really did at Newbury. He’s back on song now. Grey Gold is a good horse, but he put him in his place.

“He travelled well and coming up the straight I was thinking ‘this is him’ and I was buzzing. I gave him a couple of flicks and he got a bit tired at the last, but that was probably giving the weight away.”

Despite only finishing second on his comeback run in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot, the Seven Barrows handler feels satisfied with where he is with the nine-year old heading to Prestbury Park.

Henderson said: “The early parts were hard work and we were just waiting for that spark to come back. You cannot force it to happen but we are as good as we have been for a very long time. We have had our one run and he has done a lot of work since and he is spot on.

”I am not saying he is what he was for two years as he was ridiculously unbeatable no matter what anybody threw at him. I am not confident but pretty optimistic and all has gone according to plan.”

Willie Mullins has given a quick couple of lines on a selection of his runners heading to Prestbury Park.

ARCTIC FIRE: He’s the one in the Champion Hurdle that is improving all the time. I still haven’t got the best out of him. If he doesn’t win the champion, he’ll win a really big race over hurdles.

DJAKADAM: He was very good last time out. Ruby said he’d never gone as easy in the Thyestes, it was a Gold Cup performance and that’s the plan.

CHAMPAGNE FEVER: I imagine it will be the Champion Chase. Probably after his performance in the other you might have him go for the Ryanair, but that’s the way connections are leaning. That last victory has made him a different horse.